Quaternary services centre around research and development and involve the collection, production and dissemination of information. They are considered an advanced form of services involving specialised knowledge and technical skills. This sector has replaced primary and secondary employment as the basis for economic growth in developed economies, with over half of workers in the ‘Knowledge Sector’.

Personnel working in office buildings, elementary schools, university classrooms, hospitals, doctors’ offices, theatres, accounting and brokerage firms belong to this category. Like some tertiary functions, quaternary activities can also be outsourced as they are not tied to resources, affected by the environment, or necessarily localised by market.